


and if i should die before you?

by vousme



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 07:19:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16760524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vousme/pseuds/vousme
Summary: there's a time arthur would have said no to a cheesy moment like this, but with a drunk marston and a cynic romantic strumming a guitar, what can he do?





	and if i should die before you?

**Author's Note:**

> please enjoy this short, cheesy drabble that i thought of after rescuing sean and the party they threw for him. john being drunk and javier playing the guitar was my entire mood.

> it was one of those nights that the gang needed after being stuck up in the frozen mountains with deaths and pinkertons surrounding them. they had a sincerely tough couple of days but it paid off in the end. weeks passed and things happened, such as rescuing a drunkard from train tracks and then another drunkard from the clutches of the damn government. _arthur morgan did all of that_ , along with charles and javier who risked their lives to get the irish bastard back. the gang threw him a glorious party, shockingly and for arthur it felt like ages since he saw dutch smile genuinely and hosea look relaxed and content.
> 
> throughout the little party, the male had been particularly searching for a certain person. one who always manages to slip away for hours before settling in the group. he hears a noise from the trees not far from his own camp, a curse in spanish and then silence. arthur smiles to himself as he wanders over, finding the mexican outlaw seated against a tree. "you know, i don't get you." arthur says, proudly drawing the latter's attention. 
> 
> "yeah?" javier barely spares him much of a glance as he works on tuning his guitar. "what don't you get, amigo?" perhaps anyone else wouldn't have heard the sarcasm in his voice, but arthur does. he always had and forever would, as long as he lives. it's one of the things that drew him to javier in the first place and why they bonded so well. 
> 
> "you're our entertainer amongst all these untalented bastards and yet you're just...finding any reason to distance yourself from the others." arthur shifts, thumbs in belt loops and a grin on his face. "you ain't hiding are you, escuella?"
> 
> javier finally caves in...just a bit, setting his guitar across his lap and looking up at arthur, scowling for only a second. "you act like i'm the only one who can play an instrument. you got charles with his harmonica, pearson with his accordion and--"
> 
> "yeaaaaaah, but i only really enjoy your playing." arthur quickly interrupts and even in the dark, he can see the younger flushing beneath the moonlight. it's vague but it's there and it takes everything in arthur's power not to kiss him right here and now. he watches javier fumble with a response as he gets up with his guitar in his hands, sighing dramatically. 
> 
> "you could've just, i don't know, said that from the beginning?" javier mutters, already starting to walk away from the elder cowboy and back into the lively camp. he makes sure to ignore arthur's presence on the log across from him as he strums a melody that picks at the gang's spirits. all their singing and joy is always followed by booze, booze and more damn booze until the fire and stars are swirling around into one. arthur has had his fair share of beers, now slouched on the log while watching javier strum a softer tune, mindful of the passed out members and those who are awake- which is usually him and arthur.
> 
> but tonight, there's someone awake who happens to see the way arthur's eyes are glued to the young escuella, the way they briefly lock eyes and how arthur compliments him. how javier actually smiles more when arthur is around or near. and that someone is their closest friend, john marston. a sober john would say nothing and continue to ignore the pair slowly burning into oblivion when they think no one is looking. "you should dance with me, morgan. see if a giant ain't too clumsy on his feet." john gives arthur's shoulder a nudge and instinctively the elder is brushing him away and telling him to fuck off.
> 
> not like john wasn't playing at the no affection and sentimentality from arthur because well, he was. the second the burly man shoots him down, john directs his full attention towards javier, asking him to dance. everyone in the damn camp knows javier escuella can dance..but no one has gotten the chance to dance with him. something inside arthur seems to boil over and he's not going to let marston be the first to get that opportunity. "fine, i'll fucking dance with you if it'll shut you the hell up!" arthur exclaims, jumping up from his seat and snatching john by the wrists roughly. 
> 
> javier, on the other hand, seems unaffected by the actions of his fellow compadres and continues to play the guitar while they kick up dust and fuss about stepping on boots. once they settle, they almost look...whole. their bodies matching but not quite, john's form sagging in strong arms and head tipping way too close to arthur's face. while this would bring a smile to javier's face normally, for some reason tonight is different. as much as he prides himself on not being the jealous type, he feels extremely jealous over the pair being so close. arthur, misses it.
> 
> he misses the missed note, the abrupt sigh and the shorter male nudging marston aside to take his place. and speaking of place taking, only now does arthur really notices how small javier is compared to him. the way he's pressing up against his chest and balancing on tiptoes just to wrap his arms around arthur's neck. and he's just so goddamn adorable in his own way that arthur can't really describe or else he'll end up shanked to death. there's things one should say to escuella and then there's things one should say when they wished to die a slow, painful death. for now, arthur wanted to live in this moment forever, having javier this close to him and swaying to nonexistent music was more than enough for him. 
> 
> "i saw you back there when we got sean. you had that look in your eye when we climbed that hill to reach charles and those pinkerton's jumped out at me." javier whispers once he takes a quick look around to notice they're alone, not even john is around and he can't help but wonder if this was planned. however, he feels arthur tense at the memory and that same look finds itself in his gaze once more.
> 
> "you ain't see them, javi. imagine if i wasn't there or wasn't fast enough...you'd have been--"
> 
> "killed? i know that. you know that each time we leave camp; hell i can die at camp considering how things go sometimes." he teases before noticing arthur not sharing his sense of humor. "arthur, listen to me.. if i die before you, i don't want you blaming yourself for it or...or letting it haunt you. if i die, i will die for you, not because of you. there's a difference."
> 
> "and if i should die before you?" arthur barely raises his voice, but his hand is already reaching out to push javier's hat off his head and brushing strands of hair from one side of his face. javier truly is a beautiful man, hidden behind a hat and hair with a deadly glare. but only now does he look human, vulnerable and so perfect with the fire light flickering against his gorgeous brown skin. their eyes search for something and arthur knows he's found it once javier speaks again.
> 
> "you can't die before me.." that's all his weak voice can push out before arthur is sealing their lips in a passionate kiss, feeling the warmth and pressure of the other against his body like magma. it's a strong kiss, one that's all breathless and needy before they find themselves collapsing onto the ground tangled up. it's years of pent up frustrations and uncertainty over how they should be and who they should be with that collide with the fear of losing the other. they can feel the love flowing through them, with hands in hair and that instinctual friction of their bodies trying to get more pleasure from the moment.
> 
> all it takes is for javier to moan and arthur reluctantly has to stop. he has to fucking look down and spot a flustered and panting javier beneath his large form staring back up at him with those damn soft eyes only he can see. "javi..." arthur can't help but to press a kiss against his neck before crawling off him. they sit in silence for a while, trying to figure out what happens now and if they can handle it. arthur is about to apologize and tell javier to forget that it happened once they lock eyes again, but javier shuts him up with the softest, shy kiss arthur has ever had in his life. or at least it felt as soft and shy as it could coming from javier.
> 
> "you should sleep next to me tonight. i got the tent to myself and to be honest, we're already on the damn ground." javier laughs and it sounds like heaven. it's rare to hear him laugh, like the world is made just for the two of them and nothing can come take that away. all arthur can do is nod his head and scoot himself onto the bedroll next to javier before laying down to sleep, but not before running his fingers through javier's hair a few times.
> 
> neither of them notice a grinning marston watching them both from behind a tree.


End file.
